This research is still in the early stage. However, if children with ADHD and/or autism deal with metals in different ways, these metabolic differences may partially lead to or aggravate the disease. Experts suggest that an accurate understanding of how this process works will one day help doctors identify children at risk of these diseases and may protect them from environmental factors that worsen symptoms.
(At present, baby dental technology can't help diagnosis. The tooth tissues examined in the study contain trace metal elements, such as zinc and dangerous toxic substances, such as lead-these two elements * * * reveal the difference of element metabolism in children.
According to a new study published in the Journal of Translational Psychiatry on September 25th, compared with the teeth of children without neurodevelopmental disorders and children with ADHD, autism or both show that the metal metabolism pattern is more complicated than that of normal children. Scientists at KDSP have long known that exposure to toxic metals can damage brain development, but Dr. Amy margolis, a medical psychologist at Columbia University Medical Center, said that this shows that there are many stories.
"This is not only a story of' metal exposure leads to bad results', but also a story of how different metabolic characteristics make some people more vulnerable," margolis, who was not involved in the study, told Field Science. Margolis added that there is evidence that ADHD and autism may be involved in the destruction of the same chemical pathway, and new research emphasizes this view and paves the way for further research.
Related: Seven ways pregnant women used to influence their babies.
The researchers found that people with ADHD have different blood. According to a review in 20 13 and two studies in 20 16, the concentrations of lead, mercury, zinc and manganese in urine are higher than those in normal people. Autism and its behavioral symptoms are also related to the increase of toxic metals such as lead, while the decrease of essential minerals such as zinc. However, blood and urine samples can only collect metals existing in the human system at the time of collection.
"What it can't do is tell you how much [metal] it has been exposed to in the past," said Paul Curtin, a computational biologist in icahn school of medicine at mount sinai, new york, and a co-author of the study. Curtin and his colleagues wanted to know how metals affect the development of ADHD and autism in uterus, so they took different methods.
Fetal teeth germinate in the early and late pregnancy, and the enamel layer accumulates between the second trimester of pregnancy and early childhood. Curtin said that the visible lines formed by these layers are no different from the "tree rings", and these layers reflect the levels of elements circulating in children's blood at different stages, such as metals. Curtin explained that by examining the metal exposure patterns in tissues, "we can track the annual rings in teeth and recover them in time." The research team collected 74 deciduous teeth from children. These children have previously participated in twin research on autism and ADHD in Sweden. A queue includes triplets, 30 pairs of twins and 1 1 pairs of twins. By focusing on twins, scientists aim to control the genetic factors that lead to autism and ADHD, rather than focusing on metal metabolic markers that may be different between children. Thirty-three children (45%) had ADHD and autism R, and another 465,438+0 children (55%) were compared as the control group. The scientist holds the baby's teeth with his hands.
Laser therapy has started. The research team aimed the concentrated plasma beam at the enamel of each tooth, making it pass through the pearly white surface and shoot at the "growth ring" in the tooth. Laser generates charged particles in tooth tissues, which can then be detected, analyzed and input into computer algorithms to display different metal patterns embedded in teeth. Analysis shows that children's teeth have specific markers of metal metabolism, which has nothing to do with whether they have ADHD, autism, both or both. (This connection is subtle; Curtin said that it needs a computer algorithm to identify patterns, and the correlation is not strong enough, or it appears as a large enough group.
(Vanessa Van Ren *** urg | Dreamstime) The human body usually decomposes metals periodically, which means that this process will occur repeatedly in a consistent pattern and speed. The analysis of baby's teeth shows that these circulations are damaged to some extent in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. We know that heredity affects the absorption and metabolism of vitamins and minerals. Honorary Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University Wechs Medical Center. Arnold, who was not involved in the study, suggested that researchers can study the genetics that drive metal metabolism in animal models of ADHD and autism. Arnold said that, in turn, this research may help scientists better understand human diseases.
Different brain structures form, develop and connect in the uterus, and then enter early childhood. Margolis said that because dental data show the changes of heavy metal metabolism patterns with time, brain scanning can reveal the relationship between some metabolic patterns and the volume, structure and connectivity of different regions of the brain at different development stages. Then, scientists can discuss the effects of metal metabolism on brain function and human behavior in more detail. However, she said, first, the baby tooth experiment should be repeated in another larger sample.
The team of this new study used their signature dental technology in a similar study on 20 18. They studied autistic children in Sweden, the United States and Britain. Regardless of their location or genetic background, autistic children show different zinc and copper metabolism patterns from non-autistic children. The increase of toxic metal content and the decrease of essential mineral content in KDSP are related to neurodevelopmental disorder. But the author thinks that how children metabolize metals may be as important as which elements they are exposed to.
"Of course, what you touch is the key," Curtin said, but this is also the key. How do you deal with exposure ... The [proper] metabolism of basic elements is obviously necessary for normal nerve development.
1 1 In fact, every parent should know the seven ways of children's brains, and the mind and body change with age. The first 10 controversial mental illness was first published in Life Science.
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